Latch



PATENT LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.V

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application led October 11, 1919. Serial No. 329,916.

T 0 all whom t 'may concern: y

VBe it known that I, FRANK E. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bremerton, in the county of Kitsap and State of Washington,have invented new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention has reference to a latch for the double doors of acupboard or the like.

The object of the invention is to produce an automatic inside latch orlock which will be brought to engagement with one of the doors forlocking the same only when the other door is closed, spring means beingprovided for retaining the lock or latch normally out of suchengagement.

Other objects and advantages will present themselves as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which there is illustrated a simple andsatisfactory reduction of the improvement to practice, and in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the closed doors of acupboard or the like and through the securing means for the latch orlock casing, showing the latch or lock in locking position, the dottedlines indicating the arrangement of parts when the doors are partlyopened.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, thelock or latch being illustrated in attached position to the shelf of acupboard or the like.

A portion of a cupboard is illustrated in the drawings, but in thisconnection it is to be stated that my improvement is not necessarilyrestricted to use in connection with a cupboard or the doors therefor,but that the same may be employed with equal efficiency upon anyconstruction in which two doors are employed. One of the doors isindicated by the numeral 5, the same having its edge rabbeted orotherwise formed with a depression to receive a reduced tongue 6 formedon the inner end of the other door 7. It is, of course, to be understoodthat the doors are hinged at their outer ends. The door 5, upon itsinner face is provided with a bail To one of the shelves 9 of thecupboard, and upon the under face I secure the casing of my improvement.The casing is preferably in the nature of a at plate having its endsangular as at 11, the said angle ends contacting with the under face ofthe shelf 9. The plate 10 is provided at suitable intervals withopenings through which pass securing elements 12 that enter the underface of the shelf 9.

In the casing is pivotally secured, as at 14 my improved lock or latch.

The lock or latch is particularly indicated by the numeral l5, and has ahead which is struck concentric of the pivot 14C, so that the outer edgeof the said head is rounded. The head is indicated by the numeral 16 andhas at its outer end an extending lip 17 ofva size to be received in thestaple 8 when the doors 5 and 7 are closed. The opposite end of the headis notched to provide a shoulder 18, and this shoulder is in the path ofcontact with the lug 19 formed by slitting the plate 10 bothlongitudinally and transversely and bending up the metal bounded by theslit. To the rear of the shoulder 8 there is secured one end of ahelical spring 20, the other end being connected to the plate 10.

The body of the lock is arranged at a curvature from the head, so thatboth the edges thereof are rounded and the outer end of the said body isalso rounded as indicated by the numeral 2. This rounded end providesthe abutment portion for the lock and as the lock is influenced by thespring 20 the same is normally swung to the position illustrated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so that the lip 17 is broughtout of engagement with the staple 8 of the door 5 and consequently thedoor 5 may be brought to an open position when the door 7 is open. Thedoor 5 is rst closed as is ordinary in such constructions, andthereafter the door 7 is swung to its closed position. In closing thedoor` 7, which by the way may have a contact plate upon the inner facethereof, it contacts with the abutment or tail end 2 of the lock,causing the same to be swung upon its pivot 14 to bring the finger 17thereof through the staple 8 and thus locking the door 5. Through themedium of the spring 2() the tail portion 2 of the latch eX- erts apressure against the door 7 when the latter is in contact therewith, andconsequently serves as an impelling means for opening the said door 7.Thus the door 7 will be automatically opened when the ordinary latchthat retains the doors 5 and 7 closed is released.

It is thought, from the foregoing description, when taken in connectionwith the drawings, the simplicity of the construction and the advantagesthereof will be readily apparent without further detailed description.

v Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In combination with two swinging doors of'a cupboard or the like whichare latched closed in the ordinary manner, and one of said doors havingan inwardly projecting staple, of a lock for said doors, comprising apivotally supported member having one of its ends formed with a fingerto be received in the staple, its otherV end extended to provide a taildesigned to loe-contacted by the second door, a shoulder on the lock, a

.stop inthe path of contact with the shoulder for limiting the swingingof the lookin one direction, and a spring influenc- .ing the lockwhereby to cause the swinging thereof to normally project the tailbeyond the door casing to bring the finger ofthe lock out of stapleengaging position, and said lock, when the tail thereof is contacted byone of the doors and is swung to bring its finger into the staple-'ofthe -other door being influenced by its spring to cause the tail portionthereof to exert a'constant pressure against the door with whichitengages, and to impel the door to open position when the latchingmeans for the doors is released.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

'FRANK E. DAVIS.

